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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27831304">An Unexpected Visitor: Being the Tale of an Unusual Encounter Among the Standing Stones at Avebury</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/midwinterspring/pseuds/midwinterspring'>midwinterspring</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Airships, Alien Culture, Alien Technology, Alien tourism, Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, And they were grad students, Archaeology, Brief discussion of hive dynamics (like bees/wasps), Brief discussion of memorial practices, F/M, Graduate School, No Pregnancy, No period-typical sexism or racism, Stone Circles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:47:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27831304</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/midwinterspring/pseuds/midwinterspring</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey and Ben meet an Extraterrestrial in distress while working at an archaeological site with their friend Finn.</p><p> </p><p>  <b>A Steampunk Reylo AU</b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Reylo Readers &amp; Writers - The Marvellous Moodboard Event</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Visitor on the Bank</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfCarrotFlowers/gifts">QueenOfCarrotFlowers</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First of all, thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfCarrotFlowers">QueenofCarrotFlowers</a> for making such an inspiring moodboard! I love steampunk, and was happy to have an excuse to write a steampunk AU.</p><p>Thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evangel10n">Evangel10n</a> for brainstorming this with me and suggesting the title. Thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andrina_Nightshade">Andrina_Nightshade</a> for betaing this. Thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficula">fanficula</a> for answering my questions about archaeology in the Victorian era. Any unintentional inaccuracies aren't her fault.</p><p>I played fast and loose with...many things in this fic, honestly. See the end notes for more details.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>June 1900</span>
</p><p>
  <span>30 Years after First Contact</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Avebury Stone Circle, Wiltshire, England</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me. Good day. Are you archaeologists?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The voice was polite and modulated, and Ben's first thought was that it must be from one of the newest generation of Automatic Translators.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Archaeology students, but yes," said Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben looked up from squinting at the drawing he was working on, of the standing stone that he and his fellow graduate students Rey and Finn sat at the foot of. It wasn't yet as accurate as he wanted it to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He saw a being standing across the ditch from them, on the large bank that defined Avebury's henge. The being was an Extraterrestrial, with slick black skin, a long oval head and a thin tail. There was something vaguely skeletal about them. Ben had met a few other Extraterrestrials during his time in London, and a couple before then in New York. Visiting Extraterrestrials had an open invitation to lecture at University College, where he and his friends were studying. He had never met one of this species, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"May I come talk to you? I'm interested in this stone circle," the being said through their Translator.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course," said Rey. Ben nodded, and saw Finn nod too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial walked down into the ditch and out of it again with long, quick strides, before stopping near the standing stone. They were tall - Ben guessed at least a foot taller than him, although it was hard to tell, because they weren't standing fully upright. There was some sort of mask over where he thought their mouth would be, and several metal objects hanging from around their neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm visiting Earth as a tourist," said the Extraterrestrial. Excitement came through the modulated voice. "I'm very interested in stone circles and monuments from your ancient history."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, you've definitely come to the right place!" said Finn. "This is the largest stone circle in the world. Have you been to Stonehenge as well?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I flew over it on my way here, but I didn't land. It's too crowded and well, I need to be careful." The Extraterrestrial looked down. "From what I and others have seen, your kind seems frightened of my kind. I don't want them to get the wrong idea."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh," said Ben. Visiting Extraterrestrials were protected by the Interstellar Treaty, which had been signed by most of Earth's nations. These days it seemed like Earth's nations had better relations with those of outer space than those of their fellow humans on earth. Still, there was always the possibility of an incident touching off tensions both on and off the planet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry to hear that," said Rey. She looked around. "I'm glad you came here. I try not to play favorites, but well...I do like this site better myself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Of all of his fellow students, Ben was closest to Rey and Finn. He knew they had known each other since secondary school, and was surprised they had been so welcoming to someone new, and someone from the States at that. They each had their own approaches to archaeological sites. Ben was the most studious, and the most precise in his documentation. Rey liked to convey a feeling of what it was actually like to be at a site in her drawings, and to imagine what it must have been like in the past. She was also the best with tools, whether ancient or modern. Finn wanted to understand the people - what their lives and societies had been like. In some ways, his approach was more similar to the anthropology department where Ben had gotten his undergraduate degree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are there any astronomical alignments?" the Extraterrestrial asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not that we know of, but there are always theories. There are alignments to other sites though, and two processional ways that lead to other Neolithic sites, including another stone circle. This whole landscape was probably used in ceremonies. Also, it looks like these stones came from the nearby area, unlike the stone used in Stonehenge."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's a huge long barrow near here, too," said Ben. "And Silbury Hill. It's an artificial hill, built over a long period of time, with a bank and ditch around it. It's nearby, and is visible from a lot of these sites."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yes, that's that big round hill near where I landed. Do you think it was used as a tomb, like the barrows? Or a temple?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Those are both theories, but no one knows yet." said Finn. "And it seems like the barrows were visited by the living after they had interred their dead there, maybe as part of ancestor veneration. So both tombs and temples."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh," said the visitor. They held a device in one of their hands, and the long fingers of their other hand moved over it, pressing buttons. "That's fascinating."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It seems to be a common pattern in this part of the world, like in the monuments of the Boyne Valley in Ireland," said Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And further away too," said Ben. "Some Egyptian tombs were designed so that the living could visit and leave offerings."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Humans do seem to want to feel connected to those who came before them," said Finn. "May I ask about your people?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Certainly," said the Extraterrestrial. "You are entertaining my questions about Earth, and I am happy to reciprocate. My people come from a planet orbiting the star you call Proxima Centauri. You may have met visitors from another planet in the system. Its climate is more Earth-like. My home is colder, and all our cities are in burrows under the ice. But our air is similar to your air here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you build monuments to those who came before?" Rey asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Hive Queens of our cities absorb our memories when we die, and each of them record and display that knowledge as they see fit. The patterns on the walls of our burrows and the ornaments of the Queens tell stories, and when in due time they are succeeded by new Queens, their memories are absorbed. They are living repositories of stories, and because each of my kind are also part of them in some way, we all hold pieces of those stories." The Extraterrestrial looked down, and shifted on their long legs. "It is strange… to be so far away, now. I'm so grateful to be able to travel here, but it is a bit lonely."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh," said Rey. "I'm sorry to hear that. Loneliness is so hard." She moved her hand a little, like she was trying to reach out to the Extraterrestrial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben remembered a moment over a fire in a reconstructed beehive hut, when their class had been doing some experimental archaeology. Ben had been feeling lonely, across the ocean from his family in New York, and she had told him he wasn't alone. Their hands had met briefly, before their professor and other classmates had come in. He hadn't wanted to bring it up or be improper since then. Still, he smiled when he saw her empathy for the visitor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is hard," said the Extraterrestrial. They straightened up, and looked around. "But still, it's worth it to be here. This place will one day become part of the memory of my people, for thousands of years. If — if I can get back."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's wrong?" asked Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Something went wrong with my ship when I landed. I had a hard landing, and my communication equipment is broken. I didn't expect it to be so foggy here. The others of my people who visited earth went to deserts — to see the Nazca Lines and the Pyramids. They had better weather for their landings."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah, Britain is famous for its rain and grey skies, it's true," said Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial looked around again and seemed to sniff the air, standing tall on their long bony legs. "And also," they said, the modulated voice transmitting concern, "I believe I'm being followed. I saw some humans come to look at my ship, then bring others, and now they're tracking me. I could outrun them to come here, but I may not be safe if I go back to my ship."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh no!" said Ben. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a sound that he thought might be a laugh, a brief bitter chuckle. "I had to make sure I could trust you. You certainly smelled kind, but that can be deceiving. Plus, I really did want to see this place. I would love to see more, but I need to get my ship fixed. And I don't want to be caught by those who would mean me harm."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That would be terrible," said Ben. No matter what laws were in place, scared or hateful humans could do some awful things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please understand. I am here as a tourist, with peaceful intentions. But my people are like your bees or wasps, and I am one of our warriors. I will defend myself if necessary. And if I am injured, my body will hurt Earth people. My blood is acidic," said the Extraterrestrial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We won't let that happen," said Rey.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The setting for this fic was inspired by Haven Jean Garvey's talk "Living in a Sacred Landscape" during Land Sea Sky Travel's <a href="http://www.landseaskytravel.com/year-with-the-witch-2020/2020-sacred-sites/">"Sacred Sites and Holy Places"</a> online conference. This is the second fic I've written inspired by a talk at these online conferences - the first was <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24011380">"The Only Stars that are Ours"</a>, which is an interesting contrast, actually.</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/avebury/">Avebury Stone Circle</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/silbury-hill/">Silbury Hill</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/west-kennet-long-barrow/">West Kennet Long Barrow</a>
</p><p>My descriptions of the stone circle are based on the site as it appears today. It was actually partially restored in the 1930s.</p><p>
  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_College_London">University College London (Now UCL)</a>
</p><p>
  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%BA_na_B%C3%B3inne">Brú na Bóinne</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_Lines">Nazca Lines</a>
</p><p>I also had the Oriental Institute special exhibit <a href="https://oi.uchicago.edu/museum-exhibits/special-exhibits/remembrance-me-feasting-dead-ancient-middle-eastOLD">"In Remembrance of Me: Feasting With the Dead in the Ancient Middle East"</a> in mind as I wrote this.</p><p>The Extraterrestrial is based on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(creature_in_Alien_franchise)">Xenomorph</a> from Alien. The only movie in the series I've seen is <i>Alien</i>. I played fast and loose with having the Extraterrestrial be self-aware as well as part of a eusocial collective.</p><p>There really are <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2020/02/proxima-centauri-the-closest-exoplanet-to-earth">exoplanets</a> orbiting Proxima Centauri!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Distress Call is Answered</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <i>"Mayday. Mayday. We have an emergency at the south end of the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire."</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>There was a crackle, and then a brusque, Welsh-accented voice answered. "This is Captain Canady of Her Majesty's Air Patrol Dreadnaught Fulminatrix. What is your emergency?"</i></p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for the great comments so far!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Got any ideas?"asked Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked at what they had with them - some digging tools, string, several notebooks, pens, pencils, a radio, and tools to fix the radio. They had come here in a small motorcar, but it was barely faster than a horse-drawn carriage, and open to the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We've got the motorcar, but it's not going to protect anyone from an angry mob," said Rey. She wasn't sure if the Extraterrestrial would fit in it, either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's an Air Patrol and Coastguard station in Bristol, right?" Ben asked. "We can radio them and ask for help. They should have airships and planes, and might have equipment to fix what's broken. I mean, we can communicate with Extraterrestrials by radio, so maybe there are similar parts?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You think our visitor would be safe with them?" asked Finn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm expecting them not to want to cause trouble for Her Majesty and the Prime Minister. Besides, their purpose is search and rescue. They're not military or police, so I think they'd be less likely to escalate the situation," said Ben.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finn looked like he was considering it, then he slowly nodded. "Sure. That could work. What do you think, Rey?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think we should call someone, and the Air Patrol will probably have the best equipment. But… I don't think it's my decision." She looked up at the Extraterrestrial. "What would you like?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If this Air Patrol is the best equipped, then please do that. I want what will get me home safely."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Very well," said Rey, and opened the radio's case. It was large and heavy, mostly because of the huge battery that powered it. Of the three of them, she was the best at fiddling with it when it became idiosyncratic, which was often.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned it to the distress channel. "Mayday. Mayday. We have an emergency at the south end of the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a crackle, and then a brusque, Welsh-accented voice answered. "This is Captain Canady of Her Majesty's Air Patrol Dreadnaught </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fulminatrix</span>
  </em>
  <span>. What is your emergency?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a delicate situation," said Rey. "There is an Extraterrestrial here with a damaged ship, damaged communication equipment, and they believe they are being pursued by locals who wish them harm. Send help quickly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The radio crackled, and Rey wondered if she heard cursing. Then it was clear again and Canady said, "Very well. Is there a road nearby we can land a small aeroplane on?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, the road into the village goes through the stone circle. You should be able to land close to us."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're on our way. How many people should we be looking for?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Four including our visitor."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Copy that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fulminatrix </span>
  </em>
  <span>out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial listened and seemed to sigh when the transmission ended. They kept smelling the wind, and glancing toward the south. They moved and curled in on themselves so they were hiding behind the nearest standing stone. Finn paced around the area, keeping watch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey soon heard the buzzing sound of an aeroplane engine, and then the plane itself appeared. Finn wore an aviator-style jacket and a white scarf, and he waved the scarf as the plane circled. It came to a smooth landing on the road that ran through the stone circle. Two people emerged, and the plane looked like it could carry at least six more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she didn't know that the two people were technically civilians, she wouldn't have believed it. They both carried themselves like they had spent their entire careers in the military, and their uniforms were crisp and well-fitting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good day," said the man. "I'm Moden Canady. We spoke on the radio."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good day," said Rey. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Rey Johnson, and this is Finn Akintola, Ben Solo, and our guest."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial unfolded themselves to their full height."I am a traveler from the city-hive Icehome, on the second inhabited planet of Proxima Centauri. I am visiting your stone circles and ancient monuments in this area."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Welcome," said Canady. "A true honor to meet you. I brought our communications officer, Lieutenant Amira Goneril with me. She trained under one of the people who made first contact, so if anyone can fix your equipment, it's her."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you," said the Extraterrestrial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't expect you to come yourself, Captain," said Ben.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Canady barked out a short laugh. "I trust my First Officer to command an airship and run search and rescue operations. I don't fully trust him to avoid an interstellar incident, however. And the rest of the crew may have good intentions, but very little experience. So. You have me. But if you need the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fulminatrix</span>
  </em>
  <span> after all, she can be here shortly."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where is your ship?" Goneril asked the Extraterrestrial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"By Silbury Hill."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We can certainly get you back there. I did see a group of people with some wagons heading this way. They don't look fast or organized, but I think it would be best to go there quickly," said Canady.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial walked closer to Canady and Goneril and sniffed the air around them. "Very well. Yes. I will go in your aeroplane."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial had to duck their head to walk inside the aeroplane, but they managed to fit themselves into a seat. Rey looked out the window in awe as the plane took off and circled over the Avebury henge and stone circles. It was amazing to see the site as a whole. Their professor had mentioned a few archaeologists taking photos from aeroplanes, and she was hoping the practice would become much more widely adopted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey sat near the Extraterrestrial, and she pointed out the double row of standing stones that formed West Kennet Avenue as they flew south, partially paralleling the ancient route. She saw the long straight line of the long barrow in the distance as they turned to approach Silbury Hill. The Hill was unmistakable, almost perfectly round with a somewhat flattened top, rising from the nearby fields. It was a clear navigation point, and Rey wasn't surprised the Extraterrestrial landed nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The aeroplane landed on a small road. Once they got out, Rey could see a dark shape in between the road and the Hill. She wasn't surprised when the Extraterrestrial pointed it out as their ship.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they got closer, she could see that it rested on spindly legs, with large nozzles pointed to the ground and smaller nozzles pointed in various directions. The overall shape was streamlined in the way that Rey had seen before from photographs of Extraterrestrial ships in newspapers. Lines of bright metal curved over part of the surface. They didn't look like any designs Rey had ever seen before. Rey desperately wanted to see what it looked like inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goneril must have seen her staring. "I can work with the Extraterrestrial to try to fix what's broken, but it might be good to have one of you three around to help."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll do it," said Rey, at the same time as Finn said, "It should be Rey."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"For sure," said Ben. "She's fixed our radio and tools more times than should actually be possible." His voice was warm. She considered him a friend as well as a colleague, and sometimes wondered if he could even be something more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This wasn't the time to think about that, though. They had seen a group of people and wagons approaching as they had circled to land. They needed to work as quickly as they could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goneril brought tools from the airplane, and Rey had brought hers from the stone circle. They hung back as the Extraterrestrial wiggled their long fingers around a part of the spaceship where the metal was a slightly different color and texture. A hatch opened up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey tried not to gasp at the interior. She'd seen some newspaper photos and engravings of Extraterrestrials, but never any detailed views of their technology. She hoped she could remember everything well enough to draw it afterwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The interior of the ship looked like it had grown that way, or like waves of some dark glossy liquid had been frozen in such a way to make a seat and curving panels surrounding it. Studying archaeology meant Rey had seen a decent survey of the material culture of humanity through the millenia, and she'd never seen anything like this. The closest thing she could compare it to was a gallery show of Modern Style furniture and metalwork one of her classes had gone to. All of the pieces had sinuous lines inspired by nature, and Rey could see similar curves in the ship's interior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What seems to be the problem?" asked Goneril. Her tone was calm and professional, but her eyes were wide too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial climbed into the seat and curled their tail into a groove seemingly designed to support it. They brushed a hand over a panel, and lights came on in front of and above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The communication and navigation equipment got damaged when I landed. It looks like there's a broken connection somewhere. Without that equipment, I can't take off or avoid obstacles."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hmm," said Goneril. "Where are the fragile points of the system?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There are some fragile parts inside the panels," said the Extraterrestrial. "And the antennae, especially the part near one of the landing struts."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, let's start there," said Goneril.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial got out again, and pointed to the lines of brighter metal Rey had noticed. They extended down to one of the legs the ship rested on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What does this part do?" asked Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It helps avoid obstacles while landing," said the Extraterrestrial. "It's not perfectly accurate, so I also have to use visuals to land."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them looked at the landing strut and the antennae. "Do you have anything with you to test electrical connections?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, unfortunately," said the Extraterrestrial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've got some equipment," said Goneril. She produced a box with dials on the side, and an array of cables and probes. "I need to make sure my equipment will work with your circuitry first, and then go from there."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looked at the blinking lights inside the ship. "What's powering your electronics? Batteries?" she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, heat from radioactive decay of special material. It's carefully shielded and shouldn't hurt anyone if the shielding is kept intact," said the Extraterrestrial.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There had been a lecture at the City University about the exciting new discovery of radioactivity, but Rey hadn't been able to attend. The Extraterrestrial talked about it like it was completely ordinary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, another reason to ensure no one damages your ship," said Goneril. "Where is it located?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Extraterrestrial pointed to the opposite side of the ship from the cockpit. "You won't have to go near it. None of the navigation equipment is nearby."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goneril connected one of the probes to two points on the antenna, and looked at the dial. "A bit different than I'm used to, but I can work with this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey helped her take apart panels and check connections, while the Extraterrestrial talked them through where different systems were located. As it turned out, there were a few broken connections. Behind one of the panels in the cockpit, several wires were visibly damaged, and there were a couple of other places where Goneril's equipment showed a lack of continuity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Goneril took out her other tools, "I should be able to fix most of this with what I have here." She looked at the Extraterrestrial. "I could use some input on—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Canady's voice cut her off. "Lieutenant! We're about to have a situation here!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Rey could hear wheels on the road, and the rumble of angry voices.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Akintola (meaning "being brave is as good as wealth") as Finn's last name came from a <a href="https://twitter.com/SolarLilith/status/1347393139246559234">thread</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarLilith">SolarLilith</a> about possible Yoruba last names for Finn in modern (and other) AUs.</p><p>When I started researching for this fic, I realized I wasn't playing quite as fast and loose with some of the tech as I thought. Batteries, radios, and airships would have existed approximately as described, and Goneril's test equipment is reasonably historically accurate too. The motorcar (and some of the feel of this fic, honestly) was inspired by watching Enola Holmes, but again, something like it would have existed in 1900, although it wouldn't have been very common. The Extraterrestrial's tech hints at radar ("it helps avoid obstacles when landing"). The first patent for radar was filed in 1904, and the first patent for ground-penetrating radar was filed in 1910 (relevant to archaeology!)</p><p>The biggest change I've made (other than first contact with Extraterrestrials, of course) is the development of airplanes. Airplane technology in this fic is probably 40 years ahead of the actual history. (Presumably a response to first contact.)</p><p>Experimental archaeology, mentioned in Chapter 1, is actually a later development and wouldn't have been practiced in 1900.</p><p>The Extraterrestrial's electronics are powered by a <a href="https://rps.nasa.gov/about-rps/about-plutonium-238/">radioisotope thermal generator</a> containing <a href="https://xkcd.com/2115/">Plutonium 238</a>. This isotope produces alpha radiation, which can be shielded by a piece of paper. Most of the "shielding" mentioned is due to the heat Pu-238 produces. Real RTGs are used on robotic spacecraft where solar panels would be impractical, either due to distance from the sun or a dusty environment. Voyager 1 and 2, the Curiosity rover, and the Perseverance rover (landing Feb. 18, 2021!) are all powered by RTGs, and Pioneer 10 and 11, as well as Cassini were as well. An RTG features in <i>The Martian</i> (book and movie both). </p><p>Modern Style is what <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau">Art Nouveau</a> was called in England. The description of the Extraterrestrial's spacecraft was strongly influenced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._Giger">H.R. Giger's</a> art. (He designed the Xenomorph in <i>Alien</i>.)</p><p>The Air Patrol in this fic is inspired by the U.S. Civil Air Patrol, and similar British organizations. HM Coastguard was formed in 1822.</p><p>In <i>The Last Jedi</i>, Canady's adjutant is named <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Goneril">Goneril</a>. I decided this was her last name, and gave her the first name Amira, as she's played by Amira Ghazalla.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you liked this, you might also enjoy <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27258991">"More Than a Candle"</a>, which also features archaeology references and Ben as a grad student (in law school), and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23674711/chapters/56834920">"To Love Shadows and Marvels"</a>, in which place is very much a character and Rey and Ben are grad students. Also, I imagine the planet Baz in <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25985023/chapters/63174271">"Children of the Revolution (you can't fool us)"</a> to have a somewhat steampunk aesthetic.</p><p>You can find me on Twitter as <a href="https://twitter.com/midwintersprin1">@midwintersprin1</a>. Let me know via DM, comment, or Discord message if I need to tag anything.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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